The House of Representatives and heads of security and intelligence agencies on Monday gave nod to the bill seeking to establish the National Commission Against the Proliferation of Arms and Light Weapons in the country with a view to tackle the various security challenges.
To this end, the House which had conducted a public hearing on the bill and three other security related bills have given the security agencies powers to mop up all arms and other harmful weapons when the new law is enacted.
Speaker of the House Hon.Femi Gbajabiamila who declared the hearing open said that the four bills under legislative process of public scrutiny are very strategic and crucial in Nigeria because of issue of national security.
He further said that ensuring adequate security, welfare and well-being of the citizenry is the basis and purpose of the government.
He called on the security agencies and citizens and other stakeholders to make inputs into these proposed laws so that the nation can be secured adding that security is now everyone’s business.
The number four Nigerian citizen also assured the invited stakeholders that the bills would be thoroughly considered by the House Committee which noted is the most important in the parliament.
Similarly, Chairman of the House Committee Hon. Shabba Ibrahim said that the public hearing on the bill to establish the National Commission Against Proliferation of Arms was to bring stakeholders to cross-fertilize ideas on critical issues of national security.
He added that the input from the security agencies and other civil society organisations would form the basis of the report to the House by the revered Committee on the proposed laws.
At the hearing, the heads of all security agencies notably the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air-Force, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Police Force and the Defence Intelligence Agency lauded the initiative to establish the National Commission Against Proliferation of Arms and Light Weapons
Moreover, the Department of State Services DSS had noted that the bill is a commendable initiative in the ongoing fight against insecurity in the country.
Director-General of the DSS Yusuf Magaji Bichi represented by the Director of Legal Services Shaw Ali while commending the sponsors of the proposed laws however noted that there may be clash of interest between the commission and the security agencies.
Notwithstanding, all the representatives of the heads of military wing of the nation’s security forces notably Navy Commodore Jemila Abubakar Sadik, Air Force, Air Commodore O. Olasukunmi, Army, Lt Col. O.Otta Agbo and the Defence Intelligence Agency DIA Air Commodore A.E Ogohi gave approval for the commission’s establishment.
Most of these security agencies’ canvassed position at the public hearing is that security of the nation must be strengthened and the proposed commission is imperative to improve of the nations security architecture.
Some other bills considered by the House Committee are ‘A bill for an Act to make provision for integration of Close Circuit Television CCTV into the National Security Network in Nigeria and for Related Matters’ and ‘A bill to Designate the Month of November as National Appreciation Month for Security Agencies and for Related Matters’ among others.
